Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan and the Minister for sharing time. I commend the Minister on Housing for All. It is probably one of the most ambitious plans we have seen in the history of the State. It is a huge plan, in terms of volume and aspiration but more importantly, in terms of the money and real commitment the Government has put behind it. The Minister has energised the plan and the great thing about Housing for All is that it is not set in stone. It is very much an evolving plan and we have seen that at several stages over the past year. The Minister has been willing to tweak it and to make amendments to give it more momentum.

There is almost a revolution in social housing taking place throughout the country. For example, the keys to homes on the former Harris site on Richmond Street, an unused derelict garage site on a corner in Longford town, will shortly be handed out. The street will be completely transformed by 14 new, fully accessible houses for disabled members of our community. It is a fantastic development. In Ballinamuck, north Longford there will be 12 similarly-built houses, using universal design, for elderly people and those with disability or mobility issues. That really cuts to the heart of what social housing is about.

At the core of Housing for All is a commitment to help those people who have struggled over many years - we make no bones about that - to secure housing. For the first time, there is an ambitious plan.

More important, we have Minister who is delivering on that plan. It is great to see. The greatest tribute to the Minister is that some of his greatest critics are now buying into the plan. We see that in the numerous parliamentary questions he receives about Croí Cónaithe and the help-to-buy scheme. It is a measure of the esteem in which many in the House now hold him that they acknowledge, albeit under the cloak of a parliamentary question, that the plan is right. Not only is it right; it is also working.

Regarding Croí Cónaithe, I do not think there is a county councillor or anybody in politics this country who, over the past 20 years, has not been besieged by people asking them to do something about dereliction and houses in rural Ireland that have lain empty for the past 20 or 30 years. We now have Croí Cónaithe, which is exactly what was wanted. It is very simple to apply for. All people need to do is be a first-time buyer and, lo and behold, Sinn Féin says it is not going to work. The only reason it says that is because it is the Minister's plan and part of Housing for All. It is going to work, and we can see that in every county council across the country. There are large numbers of expressions of interest in Croí Cónaithe. I am delighted the Minister is extending the scheme to rural Ireland. It will be a game changer for rural Ireland and is most welcome.

The help-to-buy scheme is a great initiative. If Sinn Féin had its way, it would be dismantled and thrown to one side. Many families have benefited from the scheme. We may find unity with Sinn Féin on giving consideration to pre-owned homes for first-time buyers. There is a realisation that the plan is working and people may want to buy into it, which is most welcome. The Minister is not a glory hunter, but he will share in the success of the plan and, ultimately, everyone in the House wants to get people housed. Everybody is finally coming to the realisation and starting to admit that we finally have a plan that will get people housed.

Deputy Boyd Barrett has left the Chamber, but I saw him on the plinth earlier today calling for us to raid the rainy day fund to buy houses in cases where people in receipt of HAP and RAS have received notice to quit. I was delighted to hear the Minister say he has been addressing that issue since July, which is most welcome. Not only has he done that, he has added 300 houses to the local authority housing stock. Not only is the Minister pre-emptive but he is reactionary. When he sees issues, he tackles them head on.

Housing for All is working and will deliver on its key objectives. As I said, it is probably the most ambitious plan we have seen since the foundation of the State. It required a strong and determined Minister who was prepared to roll up his sleeves, and he is certainly doing that. We are starting to see momentum building behind the plan. I commend the work of the Minister to date and, as I said, I am delighted to see all sides of the House rolling in behind the plan and seeing the virtues of Housing for All.

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